


night flight

by ninemoons42



Series: Dragon Age Inquisition - Kiriya - Original Flavor [7]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/M, Hugs, Kissing, Male-Female Friendship, Nightmares, Post-Mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:02:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4805486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninemoons42/pseuds/ninemoons42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor and her companions have been too long away from Skyhold, and now they find themselves coming home, though it's the middle of the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	night flight

Kiriya looked over her shoulder. A familiar switchback mountain path, half-shrouded in shadows. Scudding clouds in the sky and whispering leaves all around her, and the steady weary plod of horses heading uphill.

Every step sent sharp stinging pains up and down her right arm. They’d run out of medical supplies after several pitched battles. Even now she could see Cassandra trying to keep the bloodied linen in place around her neck and left shoulder; even now she could see how Solas seemed to be favoring his right leg.

“It feels improper,” Cassandra said, after a moment. 

“Sneaking towards Skyhold in the middle of the night?” Kiriya said, hurrying to her side. 

“We should have let them know that we were on our way. Now we will have to wake the others up if we want our wounds tended.”

“And Josephine and Leliana will scold us for so many reasons.”

That made Cassandra shake her head, and smile, even if it was cracked around the edges with pain. “It will be good to see them again.”

“I didn’t think that mission would take us away for so long -- we need to plan these things better,” Kiriya said.

“I will do my best next time.”

“And so will I.”

Stars wheeled brightly overhead as they finally came within calling distance of the walls surrounding Skyhold -- and Kiriya hurried forward and banged on the gates with both fists. “Open up!”

“Who goes there?” called a voice from above. 

“Seeker Pentaghast, rift mage Solas, and Kiriya Trevelyan!”

There was a pause, and then: “Inquisitor?!” “Open those gates!” “My lady, will you need assistance?”

“Apologies,” Kiriya said, over the groan of the doors being pulled open. “And if someone could rouse the healers -- we have not precisely come back unscathed -- ”

“Right away, Inquisitor.”

“Trevelyan,” said a familiar voice.

She turned, and found it in herself to dredge up a smile. “Dorian. I’m so sorry I disturbed you.” Cool light blooming in her friend’s hands, cool relief dancing in bright sparks over her skin. 

“Maybe sometimes you’re a bit of a bother,” Dorian murmured, “but today, tonight, no, you’re not that. You’re a welcome sight for these eyes.”

“How have you been,” Kiriya began -- and then she clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn.

“Those things are contagious, you know,” Dorian complained, before hiding his own yawn in his sleeve.

Kiriya smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “See to the others and then back to bed with you,” she said, gently. 

“You owe me a story,” Dorian said as he moved off. “Several, in fact.”

“I do, and I’ll even buy the drinks,” Kiriya said.

“You do that.”

Somehow she managed to tug the tack and harness off her horse, and fumble her saddlebags and rucksack onto her back -- and now she had to face the silent, solitary climb to her quarters.

She looked over her shoulder, once, and sighed.

No lights shone in the windows of Cullen’s tower.

“At least he’s resting,” she whispered to herself, the quiet words nevertheless stirring echoes in the cold corridor.

A candle, flickering to life, in the distance.

Kiriya did her best to hurry forward, eager for her bed, eager to snatch a few hours’ sleep --

Flash of another candle flaring into life, and a shadow wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Cole had a finger to his lips. “Ssssh.”

She couldn’t help but imitate his gesture, and she couldn’t help but whisper to him: “Thank you for lighting the way.”

“He asked me to. He’s sleeping now. Terrible dreams. He sleeps here. Waiting.”

 _He._ She knew now why the tower’s windows were dark.

“He misses you, and -- and I miss you, too,” Cole said, in a very small voice.

Kiriya smiled, then, and stepped forward. Opened her arms. “Come here,” she said, gently coaxing. “You can put your arms around me -- that’s right, around my waist. Squeeze, gently -- this is called a hug -- oh, sorry, mind my ribs, I’m still a little bruised.”

“You want this?” Cole asked. “Even if it hurts?”

Kiriya squeezed him again, and let him go. “I do. It hurts, but not for long. I would rather be in pain for a moment and, and hold my friend close.”

“You don’t hug everyone. Sometimes they hug you. Or put an arm around you.”

“And I appreciate it, when they do that. It makes me feel like I am close to them.”

“May I hug you, in the future?” Cole asked, and she could hear a sound like shuffling.

She reached out to him again, clasping his hand in both of hers. “Of course, Cole.”

“Thank you.” He paused, and she heard the call of a night-flying bird, and she thought of dark-fluttering wings stroking the sky. “Now I think he wants to hold you.”

“And I him,” Kiriya said. “I’ll speak to you when I wake up. Come find me in the mess hall.”

“I will.” And in the next moment Cole was gone, without even a breeze to mark his passing. The candle he’d lit outside her door burned bright and steady.

She pushed her way in.

“No, no, please don’t -- take me, I’ll do what you want -- don’t hurt her -- ”

Kiriya dropped her bags and leapt across the room, onto her bed -- and she seized Cullen’s heaving shoulders in her hands, leaning over him with her entire weight. “Cullen,” she said, firm and quiet and steady. “Cullen. You are dreaming. I need you to wake up.”

“Not Kiriya, not her -- ”

“I am here, Cullen. Wake up,” Kiriya repeated -- and when he strained for breath, she bent to him and kissed him on the mouth.

For an instant, he froze beneath her.

“Cullen. It’s me,” she whispered against his lips.

“Kiriya,” Cullen said, and his eyes opened, suddenly.

She tried to smile, and she could feel the corner of her mouth lift, just barely -- 

“It’s you -- it really is you,” Cullen said, and he sat up, catching her in his arms. “You -- we were expecting you in the morning.”

“It _is_ morning, as far as I can tell,” Kiriya said, rubbing her cheek against the thin cloth of his shirt. “It’s just that the sun hasn’t come up yet.”

“Why -- no, I’m not going to ask you any questions,” Cullen said. “Instead I should be thanking you. You woke me up.”

She nodded, and slithered from his lap onto the bed itself, curling up. How long had it been since she’d properly slept? The sheets were almost strangely soft against her skin.

Warmth at her temple. Fingers working at her bracers. With difficulty she opened her eyes. Cullen was bent over her, their positions reversed, and he was putting her armor away, carefully -- 

“Tired,” she whispered, her eyes falling closed again.

“I know. Let’s get these things off you,” Cullen said. “We’ll talk later.”

“Long report.”

“That, too.”

She felt him fold himself around her, and she sighed at the feel of him. He threw off nearly as much heat as the roaring fire in her room did. Warm, she was warm as he held her, and somehow that gave her the strength to turn around in his arms. “Cullen,” she whispered, drunk off his presence, drunk off her fatigue.

“Kiriya. Thank the Maker you’re back.”

She had no answer to that prayer, only -- she strained toward him, and caught his mouth in a kiss.

He was warm. He was safe. He was _hers_. She sighed against him when he returned the kiss, and she coaxed his mouth open, tasting him. Warm steel and the ale he drank from time to time. Faint traces of lavender -- how long had he been sleeping in her quarters? 

Another kiss, and another, and then her strength failed her. “Sorry,” she whispered, smiling to ease the blow, as she finally fell back onto her pillow. “I want -- so much more, but I can’t. Too tired.”

“I could hardly take offense,” was Cullen’s equally quiet answer. 

She brushed a fingertip over his smile, and closed her eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> I am also on [tumblr](http://ninemoons42.tumblr.com/) and my Dragon Age: Inquisition blog is [here](http://ninemoons42-inquisition.tumblr.com/).


End file.
